Graduate
Education

The graduate programs of Wheaton College focus on areas of
strategic importance to church and society where our historic strengths
enable us to make distinctive contributions to the world of Christian higher
education. These strengths include clear commitments to the supreme and final
authority of the Scriptures, a tradition of excellence in academic pursuits
rooted in the liberal arts, and a commitment to bringing Christian faith and
learning together in the context of a dynamic community of faith.

These carefully planned graduate programs seek to bring
Christian belief and perspectives to bear on the needs of contemporary
society. Students have the opportunity to work closely with accomplished
teacher-scholar-practitioners and where possible, with accomplished
scholar-practitioners outside of Wheaton. We provide academic and
professional preparation that will enable the committed Christian student to
articulate a biblical and global worldview and to apply it to service for
Christ and His Kingdom.

The graduate programs are designed to enable our graduate
students to:

develop an appropriate graduate-level mastery of an academic
discipline and of its methods of scholarly inquiry and professional
application;

develop a biblical framework for understanding their discipline
in order to integrate faith, learning, and practice effectively;

develop interdisciplinary breadth and inquiry through our
required component of biblical and theological study and through exposure to
the broader liberal arts emphases of our academic community;

pursue their own holistic development in the context of this
dynamic community of faith in order to prepare to serve Christ and His
Kingdom throughout the world;

effectively serve to improve society and building the church—locally,
nationally, and globally—in their chosen vocations by using critical thinking
skills in the disciplines.

Since the integrating core of all of our graduate programs
is our institutional commitment to grounding academic study in Christian
truth (i.e., “integrating faith and learning”), foundational knowledge of the
Scriptures is a prerequisite to successful study here. Many students bring
rich experience from domestic and global Christian ministry to their graduate
studies at Wheaton College, and many Wheaton College graduate alumni have in
turn made distinctive contributions to church and society around the world.

Graduate studies at the master’s degree level are
available in Biblical Archaeology, Biblical Exegesis, Biblical Studies,
History of Christianity, Theology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling
Ministries, Marriage and Family Therapy, Christian Formation and Ministry, Education
(Elementary and Secondary), Intercultural Studies, TESOL and Intercultural
Studies, Evangelism & Leadership, and Missional Church Movements. A
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Doctor
of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree in Clinical Psychology are also offered.

One non-degree graduate level certificate program is also
available: Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
(TESOL) for students interested in teaching EDL/EFL in a variety of settings
in the U.S. and overseas.

Graduate Admissions

Building from its historic liberal arts base, Wheaton College offers graduate programs which aim at the professional education of its
students. Regardless of their professional or academic focus, the graduate
programs at Wheaton College endorse the importance of a broadly based liberal
arts education as the optimal preparation for graduate study at the College.

Students who are selected for admission to Wheaton College Graduate School should evidence a vital Christian experience, personal
integrity, social concern, and academic ability. The College seeks students
who desire a commitment to the educational outcomes valued by the graduate
departments. These values include:

Commitment to the centrality of the Word of God;

Preparation in one of the distinct departmental disciplines;

Commitment to liberal arts study within the Christian
evangelical framework;

Integration of the content (as well as the skills and
attitudes) of the chosen discipline with theological foundations;

Sensitivity to the special needs of the evangelical community.

Admission
Requirements

Master
of Arts applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a
regionally accredited college or university at a level indicative of quality
scholarship (minimum 2.75 grade point average on a 4.00 scale).

Doctoral
applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college
or university at a level indicative of quality scholarship (minimum 3.0 grade
point average on a 4.00 scale). Ph.D. applicants should have a minimum 3.5
GPA from master’s-level work.

Students from approved international colleges and
universities are required to have the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor-level degree. Applicants from non-accredited schools may be admitted on a provisional
basis, pending completion of possible deficiencies, and will be considered
for full admission to a degree program on an individual basis. Students who
have not received a bachelor's degree may be considered for admission on a
course work equivalency basis. Each applicant's case will be considered on
its own merits. All entering students must have facility in the reading,
writing, speaking, and comprehension of English to adequately complete
graduate work.

Optimal preparation for graduate study at Wheaton will be
achieved by the student who has done undergraduate course work in the
humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, and foreign
languages. This type of course work forms the core of a liberal arts
education. These liberal arts studies are recommended for all entering
graduate students. The theological studies courses required of all students
presuppose some basic exposure to the humanities and sciences.

Each of the academic departments of Wheaton College Graduate School maintains its own requirements for admission beyond the completion of
a U.S. bachelor's equivalent (see requirements for academic departments). In
most cases, these must be met by formal educational experiences.

Admission Procedure

If you prefer to submit a paper application, it is also
possible to download the application in a PDF form. To request a paper copy
of the application please contact Graduate Admissions, toll-free at
800-888-0141 or by e-mail at gradadm@wheaton.edu.

In order for your application to be evaluated in a prompt and efficient
manner, please request that the following items be submitted to:

Graduate
Admissions Office

Wheaton
College

501
College Ave.

Wheaton,
IL 60187

Transcript(s) - Transcripts must be sealed in an official
university envelope issued by the institution.

Test scores - Test scores are sent to us directly from the
testing institution. However, you may include a photocopy or self-report of
your scores with your application for evaluation purposes. The official
report is required before enrollment (Wheaton College code is 1905).

Paper
Instructions

If you plan to submit a paper application, the Graduate Admission
office requires that all applications be returned complete by the posted
deadline. Please send all the items listed below in one envelope to:

Transcript(s) - Transcripts must be sealed in an official
university envelope issued by the institution.

Test scores - Test scores are sent to us directly from the
testing institution. However, you may include a photocopy or self-report of
your scores with your application for evaluation purposes. The official
report is required before enrollment (Wheaton College code is 1905).

The following materials are required for Master of Arts
applicants:

Official transcripts of all
academic credit since high school graduation.

Recommendations from an academic advisor or college professor,
a pastor or church leader, an employer or professional acquaintance. Clinical
Psychology applicants must also submit a mental health professional reference.

A résumé that provides an overview of volunteer or paid work
experiences.

Psychology applicants must submit scores from the Graduate
Record Examination (GRE) general test. All other M.A. applicants can submit
scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test or the Miller
Analogies Test (MAT). Please note some MA programs may waive test scores
based on professional or ministry experience. Information concerning the GRE
examination may be obtained by requesting the GRE Bulletin from the
Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08540. Website: www.ets.org or toll-free
1.800.GRE.CALL. Information concerning the MAT can be found at www.milleranalogies.com.

Biblical Archaeology applicants must submit a research paper.

Signed Statement of Faith and Community Covenant.

$30.00 application fee.

Applicants who are granted admission must confirm their
acceptance by submitting a $100 advance deposit (see section on Advance Deposit).

The following materials are required for Doctoral applicants:

Official transcripts of all
academic credit since high school graduation.

Ph.D. applicants must submit three academic and one church
leader recommendation. Psy.D. applicants must submit recommendations from an
academic advisor or college professor, a pastor or church leader, an employer
or professional acquaintance, and a mental health professional.

Applicants must submit a sample of their academic writing,
e.g., a copy of a class research paper. (Ph.D. minimum 30 pages; Psy.D.
minimum 20 pages).

An employment résumé or educational vitae.

Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test.
Information concerning this examination may be obtained by requesting the GRE
Bulletin from the Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08540.
Website: www.ets.org or
toll-free 1.800.GRE.CALL.Signed Statement of Faith and Community Covenant.

Personal Statements (Ph.D. must include mentor choice and
dissertation topic).

$50.00 application fee.

Personal interviews for all doctoral application finalists.

Applicants who are granted admission must confirm their
acceptance by submitting an advance deposit (see section on Advance Deposit).

Advance
Deposit

A nonrefundable advance deposit of $100 must be submitted
with the M.A. applicant's reply accepting admission to the Graduate School. The advance deposits for
doctoral programs are $200 for Psy.D. applicants, and $500 for Ph.D.
applicants. This will be credited toward tuition when the
student enrolls.

Classification of Students

Regular
students include all applicants who are admitted to the Graduate
School in a degree or certificate program.

Special students are applicants who are not
planning to work toward a degree or who have missed the degree-student application deadline. Special
students may apply only 12 credit hours toward a degree if they
apply later as degree-seeking
students. The Graduate School is not obligated in any way to accept a special
student for degree status.

Modular Students are students enrolled in a
degree or certificate program the curriculum of which is comprised entirely
of intensive courses. Intensive courses consist of compressed “in-seat” class
time (typically one or two weeks) with significant pre- and post class
academic work.

Auditors are students
attending graduate classes for personal enrichment and not for academic
credit. Auditors must file the appropriate application form with the
Registrar's Office, register as an auditor, and pay the audit fee. Audited
courses may be included on a student's academic transcript if attendance and
instructor's expectations are met (see transcript audit application).

International Students

International students of high scholastic standing are
invited to apply for admission to the Graduate School. Applications (except
for Canadians) will be accepted
for the fall semester only. The deadline for the formal application is January 1.

The following requirements apply to all international
students and to permanent residents of the U.S. whose native language is not
English.

Applicants may choose to take one of the following
language proficiency tests: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
paper based test, the TOEFL internet based test, or the International English
Language Testing System (IELTS) The tests and our minimum requirements are
outlined below. Scores
must be no more than two years old.

Language Proficiency Test

Master of Arts

Applicants

M.A.
TESOL and Doctoral

Applicants

TOEFL – Paper
Based Test

TOEFL – Internet
Based Test

550

Minimum score of
18 points for each of 4 sections

Total cumulative

minimum of 80

600

Minimum score of
20 points for each of 4 sections

Total cumulative

minimum of 90

IELTS

Minimum score of
6.5

Minimum score of
7.5

Exceptions to the required test scores may be made
in the following instances:

The student is a citizen of Great Britain, Australia, Canada,
New Zealand, or the British West Indies, and is a native speaker of English
(GRE or MAT scores may be required).

The student has studied in one of the countries mentioned
above, or in the U.S., within the past two years and has a good academic
record at the school attended (GRE or MAT scores may be required).

The student has a recent TOEFL score (less than two years old).
In this case the student will not be required to retake the TOEFL. Special
arrangements may be made to take a written exam.

In order for the applicant to receive the Certificate of
Eligibility (Immigration form I-20) required of all international students
entering the United States, the
following conditions must be met:

The applicant must be formally admitted to a graduate degree
program.

Applicants which attended international schools need to submit
a transcript evaluation completed from one of the following international
credential evaluation agencies: WED (www.wes.org)
or ECE (www.ece.org). Official transcripts from all post-secondary
level schools attended, outside the U.S., from which academic credit was
received. The report must include general equivalency, course by course
evaluation, and your grade point average (GPA).

The applicant must submit a Certification of Finance form and
payment for tuition, room, board, and health insurance for their *first
semester, by June 1 prior to
enrollment in order for a Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20)
to be issued. If the student can verify s/he will not use college housing,
and/or meal plan, that amount does not need to be sent.

On the Certification of Finance form applicants must be able to
demonstrate sufficient financial support to cover the total projected costs
of education for the entire time of enrollment, for both billed and personal
costs, and for family, if applicable. The student must also provide signed
certification from the bank or sponsor(s) verifying the accessibility of
funds. Strict government regulations require that Wheaton College verify the financial resources of international applicants.

An international student will not be allowed to enroll for the
next semester and continue graduate study if the student's tuition (also,
housing and/or meals if applicable) is not paid at least one week before the
first day of classes. Failure to make payment will result in immediate
withdrawal from Graduate School.

*Billy Graham Center scholarship recipients must deposit
the entire amount
budgeted for their Master’s degree program by June 1 prior to their
enrollment. Under no circumstances should an applicant make preparations to
arrive in the United States before being granted admission and arranging
tuition payment.

Accelerated
M.A. Program

Wheaton College offers an Accelerated M.A. in the following
programs: Biblical Archaeology, Biblical Exegesis, Biblical Studies, History
of Christianity, Theology, Christian Formation and Ministry, Education
(Elementary and Secondary Certification), Evangelism and Leadership, Intercultural
Studies/Missions, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Wheaton College undergraduate students can earn a B.A. and M.A. in five years by taking
graduate credit courses during their senior year. An application should be
submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office prior to earning 90 undergraduate
credit hours. After acceptance, students will be able to register for
graduate-level courses after completing 90 undergraduate credit hours. Up to
eight hours of graduate credit may be taken each semester (16-hour maximum
taken as an undergraduate). The student will be given a graduate advisor, but
will retain the undergraduate advisor and be classified as an undergraduate
until the bachelor's degree is earned. Earning a graduate degree by this
method can have a financial advantage. Courses taken toward this accelerated
master's degree program cannot be counted toward the student's
bachelor's degree requirements.

Readmission

Regular students who have not registered for one semester
and modular students who have not registered for two semesters and a summer,
consecutively, must file a “Re-enrollment
Application” with the Graduate Admissions Office. An
additional $100 advance deposit ($200 if Psy.D. student) will be required. Students
seeking re-enrollment will need to submit transcripts for work undertaken
elsewhere in the interim, update medical and contact information, and may be
required to submit an Action Plan. The Graduate Admissions Director and/or
graduate program faculty will decide whether to approve, defer or deny
re-enrollment. A student readmitted after the program limit (M.A.—five years;
Ph.D.—six years; Psy.D.—seven years) must fulfill graduation requirements for
the catalog of the year of readmission. Credits earned more than eight years
prior to readmission may not be allowed to fulfill degree requirements except
with department approval.

Doctoralstudents with an approved Leave of Absence need only complete
a “Re-Activation
Application” with the Graduate Admissions Office in order to
initiate the process to resume their active status. The primary purpose of
this form is to update information needed by support departments.

Academic
Requirements

Upon satisfactory completion of the
requirements for graduation, Wheaton College confers upon the student the
degree of Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Doctor of Philosophy,
or Doctor of Psychology.

A certificate of post-baccalaureate study in Teaching
English to Speakers of Other Languages will be awarded to those students who
complete program requirements. Certificate students are subject to the same
academic standards as M.A. students, and a 2.80 cumulative GPA is required.

A student is subject to the requirements listed in the
catalog for the year in which the first enrollment occurred or to the
requirements of a subsequent catalog under which the student is enrolled for
credit as a degree-seeking student. All requirements must be met, however,
under the same catalog.

A student who completes degree or certificate requirements
in December, May, or August may participate in the annual May Commencement unless
the academic department prescribes restrictions on participation, and will
receive the diploma or certificate when all requirements are finished.

In a graduate school setting, research is of critical
importance. The student is expected not only to reach a certain level of
expertise in a chosen field of interest, but also to contribute to the
ever-expanding fund of knowledge that this field encompasses. The research
involved in that contribution is to be of the highest order in terms of
theory, as well as technique, with excellence at every stage as its proximate
and ultimate goals. It is only as such standards are applied and such results
attained that the term graduate can be used properly to describe an
educational experience. For this reason research projects, theses, and
internships are an integral part of the graduate program.

Graduation Requirements for Master of Arts

(Note: Graduate students
should consult the appropriate handbook for additional information on graduation,
candidacy status, research project requirements, as well as various
procedures and protocols in the Graduate School.

The following requirements must be met for graduation:

A minimum of six semester hours must be taken in Bible and Theology
courses. The courses are to be taken in
residence at Wheaton College, and are to be selected only from the approved list
noted later in this section of the catalog.

A cumulative grade point average of 2.80 must be maintained for
all courses taken which apply toward the degree.

The requirements for courses for one specific graduate program
must be satisfactorily completed. Courses must be selected from course
numbers 500-699. Unless otherwise limited by the academic program, and with
advisor and course instructor approval, up to eight credits of 300- and
400-level courses can be applied toward a master's degree.

Normally, courses taken at Wheaton College will be selected
from regularly scheduled courses. However, a maximum of eight credits (four
credits in the Biblical and Theological Studies programs, and Christian
Formation and Ministry program) may be taken as independent study courses
(listed as 695) and/or tutorial courses. A course is considered a tutorial
when it is listed in the catalog but taken in a semester when it is not being
offered. Permission to take an independent study course is normally granted
only when the student can demonstrate why the particular 695 course is needed
to fulfill a requirement in the student's program. These courses must meet
strict guidelines and be approved by both the course instructor and the
department chair.

At least 75% of the total hours required for a degree program
must be taken from Wheaton College. With department approval, up to 25% of
the program can be graduate-level transfer or distributed learning credit,
including Wheaton College distributed learning courses. Courses in which the
grade was lower than B- cannot be transferred. Grades from transferred
courses are not used when determining a student's cumulative grade point
average at Wheaton. Credits from a conferred master’s degree cannot be
transferred. Courses taken more than eight years prior to enrollment at
Wheaton may not be transferable. Students must complete their last semester
of study at Wheaton.

Some programs require that a comprehensive examination must be
taken and successfully passed.

An Application for Degree must be submitted to the Registrar's
Office according to announced deadline dates.

All requirements for the Master of Arts degree must be
completed within five years from the date of entrance if done in regular
academic sessions. Master’s degree students are expected to complete all
program requirements within the allotted time limits of their degree;
however, they are not necessarily expected to maintain continuous enrollment
throughout their course of study at Wheaton College.

Candidacy

Students must submit an approved masters’ degree program plan
to achieve candidacy status by the time they have completed 12 semester hours
at Wheaton. Students who are not accepted into candidacy by departmental vote
at that point in their program cannot register for additional degree courses
without special permission.

To receive candidacy status, students must submit a degree
program plan (also known as a candidacy plan), pass the academic department
vote, complete all program deficiency and prerequisite courses, and have at
least a 2.80 grade point average.

Biblical
and Theological Studies Requirement

All students are required to
take at least six semester hours in Biblical and Theological Studies courses as
part of their master’s degree program at Wheaton. Building on foundational
biblical and theological knowledge, this Biblical and Theological Studies
(TSR) requirement, supported by the integrative focus of all of the graduate
programs, prepares students to:

Employ appropriate hermeneutical methodology in the accurate
interpretation and application of biblical texts;

Evaluate and construct theological statements and systems for
congruence with Scripture and historical Christian orthodoxy;

Evaluate presuppositions, positions, and systems in their
disciplines for congruence with Scripture and historic Christian orthodoxy.

All non-Bible and Theology master’s-level students must
select one course from the Category I list:

Category I

Students entering the graduate program with an M.Div. (or
comparable M.A.) degree, or in some cases students who have had previous
documented graduate-level courses with significant content overlap, may be
granted permission to substitute one of the following for the Category I TSR
course:

Official
Communication

As the Internet has made electronic communication
widespread, convenient, and reliable, organizations of all types have begun
using the mechanisms it provides for official communication, alongside
traditional paper documents. At Wheaton College two of these mechanisms are
now used for official communication between campus offices and students: Banner
Self Service and electronic mail (email).

Banner Self Service

Banner Self Service
is a component of BannerÔ, the
College's administrative database system, and allows communication via the
Internet between campus offices and students, including online registration
for classes and communication of class schedules, grades, student account
balances, and financial aid information. Data encryption and user
authentication using PIN numbers provide safeguards for the personal
information accessible through a Banner Self Service password.

Electronic
Mail

Students are
given campus email accounts when they enroll at the College. Official
notifications made by campus offices are increasingly made using email,
rather than by paper memos sent through the campus post office. Electronic
mail used for such notifications will be delivered to the student's college
email account. Students
are expected to read their campus email, and must use their campus email
accounts in official correspondence with campus offices, to ensure proper
identification.